I've got to stop smoking - please help!!

[harman]

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you know why you have to
Just focus on that and take one day at a time
good luck , you can do it

I had to do the same thing. It was at a difficult point in my life (pregnancy was v. unexpected!) and I'd been smoking more heavily than before. But what made me stop was the thought of a little being inside me being directly affected by smoke every time I had a drag on a cigarette. The guilt at this thought meant I literally couldn't BEAR to smoke any more. Scare yourself psychologically - look at some literature about what damage is done to a fetus and you may find it acts to help you stop. The other thing I thought about was that I'd actually wanted to stop for a long time and I don't know if it was hormonal or what but I started thinking of this awful scenario of having a baby and then getting diagnosed with cancer and never forgiving myself for not smoking.

Well, I've no idea if this will help you at all. I may just sound like a morbid thinking loony!

Very good luck. If you can stop you will be glad you did forever more.

Can second Allen Carr's method, it worked for me. Good luck. You can do it!

Harman, I've got no advise on giving up smoking as i've never been a smoker but just had to say what fantasic news this is, especially now that we've been to a MN meet up.

HUGE CONGRATULATIONS!

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Yes, use us as surrogate fags.

Every time you fancy a fag come onto mumsnet and post instead. Remember the 6 smoke free year you did have you didnt miss them that much did you? Read Allen Carrs book or see if you can get hold of his video for a quick burst of him. Think of your baby and your dd, they dont want a smelly mummy, especially one whos going to tell them not to do it. And if first you dont succeed try try and try again.
Good Luck!!!!!!
Oh and what are you finding hard? Is it the sitting down at night and "relaxing", try a bath instead, It works well for me. Again Good Luck harman

Just record that new terrible ad about the fat in your arteries(spelling)when you smoke. You know the one where people are smoking and fat is falling off each fag and then they show you the artery of someone and they are squeezing out all the fat again? And then the billboards with the cigarette that has the fat on it... Do you know what I am talking about?! I was a casual smoker, enjoying smoking in bars. But since they launched those ads I can't even think about smoking.

I have a lot of family who died from smoking-contributed illness (usually not lung cancer, btw). I know they say scare stories don't work... but I only have to think about my relatives & how they died to feel quite scared about anybody smoking.

the NHS quit line have a special one for pregnant women - my mate got the number and they also gave her a local number. The woman that rang that was brilliant, came round to see her whenever, gave her her mobile number and all sorts! Worked for her
Lots of luck

and in the meantime, don't be hard on yourself, you are doing your best harman
And happy congratulations by the way, very exciting!

Harman, I sympathise with you. I was a smoker for 20 years, found out I was pregnant, was overjoyed but continued to smoke albeit considerably less, until I was 5 months pg then I quit completely. Like Evita, I just thought about what I was doing to the tiny life inside me. Somehow at around 5 months, I took myself seriously about giving up.
Now I feel like such a fool that I smoked for all those years, even tho' I have the odd craving..it is such a complex addiction.
Someone who had read the Allen Carr book helped me by spelling out his argument. I never thought I could do it, and had I not got pregnant I would no doubt be puffing away still.

I am determined not to start again..I will reach for a sweet to suck or biscuit to nibble on rather than give in, I cannot allow myself to have even one as a social thing.

The best thing I found was to remove myself from smokers and smoker situations by and large...severe I know, and my smoker friends have not seen much of me but you have to do whatever it takes if you want to quit.

Good luck and you WILL do it!

We are all rooting for you.

i know a few people who had great sucess with acupuncture, ask around for a recommendation and someone that specializes in smoking cessation. the very best of luck

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sounds strange but when you get the urge try drinking ( very slowly) a pint of water, this helps you to regulate your breathing and forces you to take deep breaths which is how smoking tricks you into thinking its relaxing you when its really forcing you to sit down and take about 50 deep breaths (or drags on the fag!) the bummer is you get a load of chemicals with it

If the kids are fighting go and stand in the garden or wherever like you would have done before. Having a fag will not stop the kids fighting itll just feed your little nicotine monster. Keep posting instead!

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Hypnotherapy?

harman, I remember that craving feeling so well. Especially when things are getting on top of you. Try to fight it if you can and remember it will pass.

Yes! Cant you tell by my posts? Im on a mission to cure everyone else of thier addiction too!

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You have done really well Harman. Keep it up. I gave up when I found out I was pg with ds, I was lucky, cigarettes made me heave in pregnancy so giving up was easy. I do have a few when I am not trying to conceive, usually when I've had a few drinks. Good luck staying off cigarettes, you can do it

Can you visualise the placenta of a smoker, it is black, not nice and red like a healthy one.

Nice one Harman
keep it up (I only stopped when I was PG the first time so I kind of know what your'e going through)